there is an endless list of expiring provisions of law that will, in fact, expire if nothing is done. and i think even if something is done at this point, what you're looking at is something very scaled back, something very small and congress will have to come back next year and take a look at trying to get to some of those other issues. >> alistair here. that sounds about right to me, assuming that that scenario is how things play out. what sort of impact medium term do you think this is going to have on consumer and corporate confidence in america, given that the fiscal cliff is clearly weighed heavily on both of those in recent months? >> the sad thing, you know, from an observer's standpoint here is that there isn't much corporate or consumer confidence in the american government. and it's proved itself dysfunctional time and again over the last couple of years. what you hear now is not how people believe that there's going to be some last-minute deal, but how they remember the times that the t.a.r.p. bill, the fiscal bailout a few years ago failed on the house floor, how they rem